AZ inspired trike build starts!

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Feb 5, 2008
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Got the drive side brake bosses installed. They're not 100% even but I can make that up in brake setup. While setting up the brakes I realized that the wheel is out of true! That'll be easy enough to fix. Here's how it looked after attacking it with a flap disk:



Next I've got to do the right side, and I have a trick up my sleeve, I think. It won't match the drive side but I don't care, it'll stop all the same :)
 
Joined
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Yesterday was the drive side brakes, and today was the other side. The trick I thought I had up my sleeve turned out to be nothing, and so I moved on to what I could figure out. I have a couple of nice steel frames that I'd like to use for parts, but avoid cutting on. They might make a nice bike for somebody else, or to sell, later. Looking around, I saw the aluminum frame that I took the BB from. It had to have steel mounts, so I figured out how to extract them and did so.



I used 3/16" bar for the other side, but I had an idea and didn't want to drill through that, so I used a piece of 1.5" square tubing that I had left over:



I'm still figuring out the drill press... ignore those marks! I drilled the same on the other side of the tube, then cut it in half to have two pieces. Cut, grind, cut, grind, grind, weld, flap disk, grind, more flap disk, and finally hand file:



They are trimmed as short as I could get them to make as much room as possible for the tire to pass between them without having to deflate it. And with that, brakes bosses are knocked off the list:



And just for fun, here's the rear frame in full:



My skill with 3/32" 6013 has increased dramatically, so much so that the brake mounts that I did today were single pass welds, no grinding. Just knock the slag off, and done! I spent some time yesterday and today grinding down some of my earlier welds and making new ones. One of the things that has helped is that I'm not so worried about blowing holes in things and am comfortable turning the heat up more.

Next up: Derailer mounts.
 
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Thank you gents! I genuinely appreciate it. Today was Derailer day. Or as I will be referring to it from now on, "The Great Derailer Screwup of 2019". Let me explain. Warning: Lots of pics. I'm glad the days of dialup are over!

It all started with a Google search to find out the size and pitch of the threads for a derailer. This took me to Park Tools' website, where they have a wonderful cross reference. Here's a link:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/basic-thread-concepts

Scroll toward the bottom to see the list. And right there is derailer: 10mmx1.0mm pitch. Sweet. And that thread is also used on a metric wheel axle. Oh, this just got interesting. I have those. You can see where this is going:



I used a removable (but aluminum, sadly) dropout from an aluminum frame as a guide for placement:



I jigged it up with a piece of flat bar underneath the inside of the wheel mount here, the nut in place with another clamp. If you pay attention to this picture, you can visibly see the first sign of trouble. I didn't. Here it is:



I inserted the axle to protect the threads, tack welded it, and then inserted a couple of steel pieces to weld to to try to fill the gap a little bit:



Some more welds on the other side, and yes I accidentally welded the axle to the nut. Whoops. Easy fix! Have you spotted the problem yet?



I cut the nut down with a cutoff disk. Have you figured out the issue?



And now look at it, all polished up! Not perfect mind you, but way better than expected for my low experience level:



Up until this point I was blissfully unaware of the problem I'd created for myself. You see, I tried to mount the derailer, and there was a problem. It wasn't mounting where I knew the gears would be. My confusion grew as I tried to mount it in a way that looked right, but then my mind visualized it in-situ and I realized my error. And as I realized it, I also understood how it is that doctors could amputate the wrong limb or operate on the wrong patient.

Incompetence. I'd put the derailer hanger on the wrong wheel mount!

I was NOT going to go through that whole process again. Operation: Derailer/Off began!



Surgery went well, and now you can hardly tell it ever happened! In this pic you can also see the little tang at the bottom of the mount that, if I'd paid close attention, I could have just left in the original nut that I cut, rather than having to go back to add it. But clearly, attention to detail was low on my list today!

This lousy picture shows that the derailer does indeed mount:



Done! With THAT derailer. The next one goes on the drive jack shaft, and I'll be working on that one tomorrow. It should be easier, as less fabrication will be involved.
 
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Both derailers are now added! Because the jackshaft axle was too short, I had to lengthen it by 2" before I could get this done. It's plenty long now, and not as straight as it was. Hopefully it'll be fine. If not, I may end up buying my way out of that problem :p



Derailers, are off the list, and due to a couple of my Instagram followers (Including one of our own here!) there are two more items:



I should probably add "finish the frame" to that. The rear frame and main tube still need to be welded together and have gussets installed.
 
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You are uncovering the joys of prototyping and, if you discover a better way, you can easily change it. The difficulty is only in retaining your sanity and enthusiasm. I have been doing that a bit lately and have managed to keep the overall progress moving forward. Should be able to report next week as this week is running out and I still have to get it operational.

From one amateur to another, are you active on DMR at all?
 
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Yes, prototyping is wonderful :) As for the amateur radio stuff: I'm all QRP, mostly digital, and currently only on 40M with a BITX40. I'm a big QRP Labs fan, and am awaiting their QSX. I've also been on 20M and have homebrewed a receiver and some other small stuff. I don't SSB much but when I do it's for contests. It's easier to make contacts with 5w when there are hordes of people listening :p

Today I had about an hour to work, and so I did one thing that needed to be done:



It turned out better than expected, worse than hoped!

I also formally collected all the things that are going to be used in the build in one spot so I stop losing them:



That's it for now :)
 
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Thanks for your amateur update. I mentioned DMR as propagation conditions don't have any affect. Thought we might be able to have a contact but I don't think QRP would cut it with the current sunspot condition.

Your build is coming together nicely. Always nice to get close to completion.
 
Joined
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Indeed, DMR definitely has a leg up on QRP. I think that's why I'm not attracted to it. It's just another WiFi as far as I'm concerned, and I am in front of computers all day every day. At least with JS8Call I'm using the radio waves to the full, even if a computer is involved, natural propagation is in play.

Again this evening I had a little bit of time. The goal: Fix the seat. I fixed the seat:



I crossed that off the list, but added two more:



You can see that the next thing to tackle is the steering tube. A yard sale had a free bike, and yet I wonder if I didn't pay too much. My Next victim:



It's currently sitting on the porch bleeding out. When I put it on the bench to start tearing it apart, rusty water started pouring out of the seat tube, and when I put it face down, it started pouring out of the head tube! Not sure if I'll be able to salvage much from this bike or not. The BB is hopeless, and I had to get out a the grinder with a cutoff disk to get the back wheel off!

Lastly I cleaned the shop a bit. I try to keep it not completely horrid. It's less dirty than when I started. Sort of.



This weekend, after the Next has drained dry-ish, I'm going to rip the headset and head tube from it and see if I can make it work for a steering setup on the trike. I was hoping to save the rear triangle from the Next, but I have my doubts at this rate!
 
Joined
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Saturday 10/5, no real work was done. This afternoon I was feeling lazy but ambitious, so I got a little bit done. I need to get the remote steering done, and while I had some parts saved, they weren't prepped. Today was That Day. I had a head tube and fork stashed away, but I also have the new NEXT bike and it has a head tube and a down tube that would work perfectly. I decided to prep the bare head tube and the new set, as well as a fork root. Tomorrow if I have time I will get the handlebars done and get the whole thing installed.

Pardon the cutoff picture. The tube on the far right is the bare head tube. It'll get saved for the next project :)



The down tube was left long because I don't know how long it'll need to be. If I don't end up using it, I have some square tubing left that I can use
 

SirJoey

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My cozy little nook in the corner!
Dude, you are doing some really nice work! (y) I think you were
"sandbagging" on us when you said you were new to this stuff! :unsure:
***
 

Radical Brad

Garage Hacker!
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Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, Canada
Flap discs rock!
Keep them when they are really worn too, the are great paint removers. I have used the same almost smooth flap disc for the last 10 years to take all paint off all of the bikes and trikes I have made for this site.

Brad
 

SirJoey

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My cozy little nook in the corner!
Keep them when they are really worn too, the are great paint removers.
Yeah, and for when you wanna gently remove only a small
amount of metal slowly, as well, without being too agressive!

Personally, I like a twisted wire wheel for paint & rust removal.

***
 
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